We have 2 almond trees in our farm and though the almonds are not large like store bought ones, they are good. I like to try different things with almonds and one of my favorites among them is almond butter. It is so very easy to make it, tastes so good and is very healthy. It is one of those recipes that is best made at home than bottled ones and has many uses and health benefits. I have always preferred to make most of the things at home without any chemicals or preservatives. Since most of the homemade products have much lesser shelf life than store bought ones, I prefer making smaller batches. That way they taste so very fresh and are very healthy and I would advice the same for almond butter too. Make small batches and use it within a week or two. There is no recipe for almond butter, all you have to do is whiz up some good, mature almonds in a dry mixer till they form a paste. Now although this sounds like an easy and quickest thing to do, it does take some time for the almonds to completely mash up into a fine paste, especially if you want a fine, smooth creamy almond butter. I would suggest sun drying the almonds for some time, this will help it release the oil faster and make it grind into a smooth creamy mixture. You can add a pinch of sea salt and little bit of jaggery while grinding to make it taste even better. This smooth wonderful raw almond butter can be used to make wonderful things and have these amazing health benefits: 1. Almond Butter For Babies: Smooth almond butter can be given to babies who are above a year old as it is a good source of proteins and fat. But make sure he | she is not allergic to nuts and give only homemade almond butter that is ground to a very smooth paste. If someone in the family is allergic to nuts, wait a little longer to introduce almond butter to the babies. Start with very small amounts and if it agrees with them slowly increase the quantity. For older kids, serve pure homemade almond butter as a dip for apples and as a spread on toast for breakfast. Introducing good quality protein early on in their diet will ensure good bone health in children. 2. Almond Butter For Weight Loss: If you planning to bring down your body fat levels, it has been proven again and again that protein rich foods will help as it keep us satiated for a long time. If you are vegan then almond butter like peanut butter is one of the best protein rich foods for weight loss. Even though a tbsp of almond butter contains about 101 calories, it keeps us satiated for a very long time. I would suggest using only homemade almond butter as you can control the amount of sugar added to it. 3. Almond Butter For Sleep: Many claim that having almond butter before bed makes them sleep better. The best way to find out is to try it for yourself because a deep sleeper like me will never be able to find it out. I have read many people claim that it makes them sleep better and that is because almond butter is high in magnesium which is essential for getting a deep sleep. 4. Almond Butter For Hair: Almond butter is amazing for hair and like any high protein natural food is good for preventing hair loss. Though you can consume almonds as it is, making it into butter and spreading it on a toast makes eating it lot tastier. 5. Almond Butter For Skin: You can do wonderful treatments with almond butter, you can even scoop it up without adding anything and massage it all over the skin for a smooth, glowing skin. Last weekend, I tried this almond butter and coffee anti cellulite scrub (recipe below). Almost 99% of us women have cellulite and though exercise is the best way to get rid of cellulite, exfoliating scrubs also work well. Coffee based scrubs are the best for cellulite and I loved this scrub both for how it felt on my skin and how it smelt. I used fresh coffee grounds and cinnamon powder from a packet that I just opened the day I made this scrub so it smelt heavenly. Though I didn’t notice any visible change in a single use, I love it so much that I am going to continue using it. Even if you don’t have cellulite try this scrub, I am sure you will love it as much as I did…..

METHOD:
1. Measure out the coffee and cinnamon powder. If you can, try using freshly ground coffee for the best fragrance.

2. Add cinnamon essential oil and mix well.

3. Add brown sugar and almond butter and mix well together.

NOTES:

The left overs will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Try not to skip the cinnamon essential oil, it makes it smell even more good.

This scrub is very gentle on the skin and can be used by everyone.

These also make lovely presents.

For making almond butter, use good quality almonds for it to taste good.

You can also bake the almonds in a preheated oven for some time instead of sun drying. But I prefer sun drying.

The texture is individual preference, if you want it to be a bit runny, add few drops of water. But adding water will reduce the shelf life later.

Madhu, don't add water while grinding. When we grind the almonds in a dry mixer without water, first they turn into a powder. If we continue grinding it, it will release the oil and will form a paste. Sun drying the almonds will help it release the oils faster…

Hi, Happy to see fellow Kovai vaasi write beautiful blog. Couple of things about almond butter. keep your utensils clean to avoid food poisoning. Do not add even trace amount of water. Make is small batches and use it in few days. Avoid any sugar if possible, especially vellam and karuppati to minimze food poisoning.Mikka Nandri.

I AM SORRY

Hi Friends, I just moved the blog from Blogger to WordPress platform so the post layout and the picture sizes all are looking a bit weird now. I am trying to sort it as fast as I can and since I have to redo each and every post, it is taking time. I think it will take a few weeks for me to sort everything out :(. I am so sorry for the inconvenience…..